AgriScot winter event falls victim to Covid-19

Much-anticipated popular show cancelled for 2020

The main winter event on the Scottish farming calendar is the latest to fall victim to the coronavirus pandemic.

Farmers and rural business owners had hoped for a return to some kind of normality with the resumption of agricultural shows in the winter following the cancellation of summer events due to Covid-19.

However, organisers of the AgriScot event, which was due to take place at Ingliston near Edinburgh on November 18, yesterday announced it would not go ahead as planned.

“Covid-19 lockdown has thankfully eased over recent weeks and while restrictions over small-scale meetings and social gatherings have reduced, there remains significant uncertainty and risk relating to largescale indoor events such as AgriScot,” said chairman Robert Neill, speaking yesterday after a meeting of the event’s directors.

“We recognise that a socially distanced or restricted event cannot deliver the same benefits for visitors and exhibitors.

“Lead-in timescales determine that we could no longer delay a decision regarding November’s event and therefore today made the sad decision to cancel.”

He said the AgriScot board had ruled out a full-scale virtual equivalent in place of this year’s event, but it planned to organise some online activity to mark the day.

“AgriScot is a hugely successful annual event, which has experienced significant growth, particularly in terms of visitor numbers and the value placed on it by visitors and trade exhibitors alike,” added Mr Neill.

“I and my fellow directors believe that we can return in 2021 with an even better AgriScot for this new decade.”

Picture: Wullie Marr. One of the livestock exhibits at last year’s show held at Ingliston, near Edinburgh.